: Re: Should my opening include a religious initiation ritual? I am about to start my first novel set in a fantasy world I am designing, and am struggling deeply with my first scene. I have read

@Moriarity138

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Personally, I think this is a very compelling beginning. Perhaps my own fascination with religion is a part of that, but I think I'm far from the only person who finds religion naturally interesting. Here's my suggestions for the specific concerns you have:

1 - Is it too obscure/abstract? No, not if the character is also confused. That gives us someone to identify with, so we feel inside the situation, not outside it. Solving a mystery is a great hook for most people, and we can all identify with being in confusing and unfamiliar surroundings. This also gives you a great avenue for providing info about the world organically.

2 - Would it have more impact after we know the character better? Perhaps, but there are ways around this. You could start with the ritual and then immediately flashback to give context. Or, start and move forward linearly, but have the character reflect back on the experience later, once we have more of a frame of reference for it. Even in real life, we often have experiences whose meaning transforms for us in retrospect.

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